Grace
and truth, effort or earning, works or faith, justice or mercy, these are the
conundrums of my life. I know that Jesus came into this world full of grace and
truth and ever since, we who follow his example have desired to be people of
grace and truth. I can never seem to find the right balance nor live in the
right place of tension between the two. The newspapers tell us that the elders
of Willow Creek Church in Illinois know all too well that one can easily extend
too much grace, demand too much truth, trust people too much, love people too
little, and fail miserably at justice for all. There is no doubt in my mind
that I would rather extend grace than mete out justice. I would rather love and
forgive than hate and punish, but there is a part of me that realizes that when
I forgive Sir John A. MacDonald for his part in “The Indian Act,” I am hurting
those who were hurt by the ethnic cleansing brought about by the Indian Act. Some
of my current friends are people whose culture and their very lives have been
damaged by the Indian Act. How do I seek justice for all? How does God extend
grace and justice to all? Could God ever forgive those who have hurt or killed huge
populations of people? If God forgave Hitler, could the Jews ever forgive God?

Perhaps
“the answers to these questions are more questions such as these.”[1]
Perhaps we need to give up our obsession with getting what we deserve and take
what we are given. Perhaps the answers are found in songs, poetry, stories, and
parables. J.R.R. Tolkien once interpreted the actions of one of his characters
in the following way.

“One tiny Hobbit against all the evil
the world could muster. A sane being would have given up, but Samwise burned
with a magnificent madness, a glowing obsession to surmount every obstacle, to
find Frodo, destroy the Ring, and cleanse Middle Earth of its festering
malignancy. He knew he would try again. Fail, perhaps. And try once more. A
thousand, thousand times if need be, but he would not give up the quest.” –
J.R.R. Tolkien

“Come, Mr. Frodo!’ he cried. ‘I can’t
carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on,
Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he’ll
go” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The
Return of the King

Might all of us choose to be one tiny
Hobbit, one cog in the massive mechanisms of the universe? What difference
might we make by pursuing the one thing to which we are called? Do we desire to
be a Hobbit or a powerful Lord of the Eldar? Each has their place and their
work to be done. Can we be satisfied if God has made us the Hobbit type?

“Some believe it is only great power that
can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the
small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay by small
acts of kindness and love.” – J.R.R.
Tolkien

I
wish I had more answers and less questions. It seems that as I age, the
questions multiply but the answers only subtract. I am learning more, but as
I learn more, I find that I know less,
because I have found more questions to ask. The stories begin to answer the
questions. The parables hold the key, if only I could understand them better.
The poetry of life contains the entire universe. May Jesus lead us ever closer
to knowing him and his mission in the world.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

Genesis 1:31-2:3 (NIV)

Take some time to read again the account of creation in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 of the Bible. Most of us think that we already know what it says, but I find that each reading reveals new insights. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 each give the account of creation in different ways. Each offers rich insights into what God wants us to know about his creation, his place in the universe, our place in the universe, and the responsibility of each person, animal, and object in the story.

At one time, I thought that God was communicating to us that we are presently living in the seventh day. Genesis 2:2 says, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.” At one level, it sounds like God is finished once and for all and that he is now resting from the work of creation. That is not the case at all. 

Creation is most certainly continuing to happen. As I write these words, Kīlauea volcanoe on the island of Hawaii is spewing lava into the sea and adding to the size of the island. In 2013, a new island was formed in the Pacific Ocean just off of the coast of Japan. Currently, new stars and planets are being formed in the far reaches of space. Furthermore, new species of plants and animals are being discovered at a rapid pace. Some of these discoveries are in fact new species that have recently come into being.

So, what are we to make of the “rest of God?” What are these words communicating to us? Perhaps it is as simple as telling us that there is a time for work and that there is a time for rest. The Creator does not always spell out all of the implications of how we are to live, but he gives us grand principles and asks us to work out how we might live this out in our time. Humans have been working out the concept of sabbath rest ever since creation. In times when Jewish law was supreme, Sabbath was highly codified and legalized. Specific rules of what could and could not be done on the seventh day of the week were built into the society. Under the rule of the Babylonians, Assyrians, Romans, and other cultures, it was necessary to adjust how Sabbath was lived out. In recent history, as Christianity has sought to codify Sabbath regulations, we saw Sunday shopping rules enshrined in law, encroached upon, struck down, and now meaningless. Christians today find themselves in a place in time and culture where we each must reinterpret how we will appropriately live out a life of work and rest. Yet, the grand principle still applies: God’s best plan for us is a day of rest and six days of work.

Creation goes on and God’s principles of what is best for his people also go on. May we rejoice in an ever-changing universe, ever-changing culture, and the constant principles which guide our lives.

Have you heard the news?

It’s raining on the moon.

Man in the T.V. said,

It’s raining on the moon.

Even the scientists

Can’t believe it’s true

They’re showing diagrams

And little moon cartoons

Where we are

Is everything we know

All we’ve got

Is the love we show[1]

We live in a time when it is almost possible to believe anything is possible. The lyrics of a song recorded by Doc Walker speak of the unbelievable times in which we live. Right now is a time of exploration unprecedented since 15^th to 18^th century European colonialism. Humans are preparing to investigate the solar system in ways never done before. Most will be done robotically; take for example the Europa Clipper (https://www.nasa.gov/europa) that NASA plans to launch in 2022 to 2025. This mission will fly close to Jupiter’s moon Europa and take samples of its global ocean by flying through the geysers ejected from the moon surface. This will be an excellent opportunity to determine if microbial life exists below the moon’s icy surface or whether life could possibly exist there.

Lunar landers for Earth’s Moon are planned for 2019 through 2021 with the plan to use the Moon as a base of operations for trips to Mars and other parts of the solar system. Some of these trips will eventually include human flight as well.

Boeing and SpaceX are competing to be the first American companies to return to carrying crew for the International Space Station (ISS) and both anticipate crewed tests of their space-cabins by the end of 2018. This will prepare the United States for a return to leadership in human space exploration. At the same time, Russia is planning crewed flights in their new crew module for 2023 and lunar orbits for 2027.

Of course, Mars is the next big goal. SpaceX appears to be the present leader in the race with their development of the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) which is slated to begin testing in 2019. This is a complete redesign of launching systems and space flight modules capable of interplanetary flight.

SpaceX, Boeing, and NASA may be the biggest and most vocal players in the race for space, but a number of other companies are quietly working on their own plans for robotic and human launches. Blue Orbit, Virgin Galactic, Ariane Space, Stratolaunch Systems, Orbital ATK, and the People’s Republic of China are all developing systems to compete with various aspects of technological prowess in the space race. One of these slumbering giants may yet rise to the forefront.

What did we learn from the New World Race in the 15^thto 18^thcenturies that may be applicable to the current competition? Are there ways in which the countries and companies of the world could collaborate to assist the entire human race? Where is there potential for conflict? Each of us has a part to play in the conversations that will occur in the years to come. May we seek peace and unity in the midst of grand achievements.

As I prepare a sermon for this Sunday on New Wine, I know I
need to meditate upon this quote by Dallas Willard.

“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.
Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just
have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.”

― Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s
Essential Teachings on Discipleship, 2006, HarperOne.

The tensions of grace, effort, and earning are real. We must
come to grips with how the three interact and are distinct. This conversation
is essential to our spiritual health. May Jesus be gracious toward us as we “work
out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

I think I’ll take a moment to celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years…[1]

In a few days I will turn 58. Perhaps it is the proximity to 60 that has got me thinking about what my big goals are for the next few years. Life goals are certainly different at 58 than they were at 18, 28, 38… There are some things that I now recognize will not be accomplished this side of heaven. I am hoping for better coordination in eternity so that I might finally learn to play the guitar. (I am also hoping that I don’t have to learn the harp – that is way too much tuning.)

I suppose this is how people get on to writing memoirs – thinking about one’s own life is a slippery slope that soon has the writer believing that others would be interested in reading about their childhood, first date, and, for that matter, goals of life. Many of us spend time considering how we will be viewed by posterity. The question is, will anyone be remembered by posterity? Our obsession with the celebrity of the moment has been accelerating for many years.

“Fame, notes Braudy, has become so immediate that it has lost its posterity. We have a growing sense of impermanence. ‘With the media you have the sense that our entire definition of true fame is visibility. We eat people up a lot faster’ he contends….

If our gods are no longer permanent, if our heroes are murderers, if our political leaders are exposed as compulsive adulterers or tax evaders, then we can no longer fill ourselves up on them in quite the same way. Instead, we drown in information, and use it to allay the anxiety of a godless and ever-shifting culture. Our endless lust for stories derives in part from the pure pleasure of it—but also to distract us from our deeper anxieties.”[2]

That quote is enough to scare me away from celebrity status, or at least temper my drive toward being known in the world. Perhaps the goals for my next thirty years should be less about how I will be viewed by others and more about helping others find their voice and bettering their world. Phil Vassar’s song goes on to suggest that for his next thirty years he will focus on his family. 

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years
In my next thirty years.[3]

This is certainly a noble goal for all, and it is the primary concern of one approaching 30. At 58 there are still many ways to help my family and encourage them in their growth; but now it is much more about modelling a lifestyle that reflects concern for the rest of the world. What if I spent the next thirty years of my life seeking freedom for those in prison, recovery of sight for the blind, and release for those who are oppressed? What effect might my small life have on the attitudes of my family, those around me, and the world in general? I will certainly continue to aim high, for as Longfellow has said, “If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it: Every arrow that flies feels the attraction of earth.”[4] But, at 58, I have a greater recognition of my small place in the universe. I will no longer seek celebrity status, but rather my place in the universe, the family of humanity, and the Body of Christ. Perhaps I can more readily accept my place among others. Emerson once said, “Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.”[5] This too is a goal worthy of one approaching 60. So, let us celebrate our age, wherever we find ourselves. May our good Lord give us the grace to see ourselves as others see us[6] and may others see us as those who care for others.

It may well be that the time has come to make three fictional laws, actual laws in our world. Perhaps the United Nations could be given authority over Artificial Intelligence and could enforce Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.” Two articles in the news today bring to mind the need for greater regulation in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and “outer space frontier development.”[1] We now need the “laws of robotics.” You may not remember these famous literary laws from Asimov’s short-story, “Runaround.” Allow me to refresh our memories:

These laws would prevent the kind of military drones now being contemplated by the Pentagon as they discuss policy with Google and other leading AI industrialists.[3] It would be very easy for drones and AI drones to take over conventional warfare. Such laws, if written into international law, would have the potential to demilitarize the AI and Space frontiers and prevent us from reverting to a “wild-west” mentality in these spheres of influence. The UN (including the little known United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs [UNOOSA]) would need to be given authority to oversee and gain cooperation from member nations – and therein lies the difficulty. The recent launch of a swarm of private artificial intelligence satellites, each about 10 centimetres across, demonstrates how difficult it is to enforce the laws. These recently launched satellites are so tiny that they cannot be tracked and could pose a navigational hazard for the International Space Station (ISS) and other satellites encircling the globe. Swarm Technologies was denied permission to launch these satellites from within the United States, so they found a carrier in India willing to send them aloft.

So, if we can’t enforce the rules, laws, and guidelines already in place, how could we enforce the three laws of robotics? Yet, it seems we must try. My recent Bible readings addressed the topic of “good judgement.” What does good judgement look like in some of these recent developments? I leave that for the reader to meditate upon as we read the following excerpt from the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 4:4-9

⁴ My father taught me,
“Take my words to heart.
    Follow my commands, and you will live.
⁵ Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
    Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
    Love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
    And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
⁸ If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
    Embrace her, and she will honor you.
⁹ She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
    she will present you with a beautiful crown.”

Human Chromosome 2 is an interesting
example of evidence that suggests God used evolution to create humanity. Darrel Falk has made a series of YouTube
videos that explain why he believes that Chromosome 2 is evidence for God using
evolutionary processes.[1]
Here I will explain the basic concepts and leave it to the reader to
investigate further.

To understand this evidence, we must first understand
a little bit about genetics, chromosomes, and DNA. Chromosomes are the
structures that keep our DNA organized. In every cell of our bodies there are
strings of 3 billion base pairs of DNA. DNA is a string of adenine (A), guanine
(G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T) molecules strung together in a variety of
combinations that can be represented like this:

(Click on images to enlarge)

Notice that the strings of molecules can be
put together in many permutations and allow for an amazing amount of
information to be stored in this format. The image shown above is a
representation of one side of the DNA ladder. DNA pairs in such a way that A
pairs with T and C pairs with G, so the two sides of a DNA double helix can be
represented in the following way:

Chromosomes organize and constrain this DNA
into discreet packages that allow the DNA to be copied, moved around, and
accurately passed from one cell division to another and from one generation to
the next. The ends of the chromosomes have distinct DNA structures called
telomeres. In humans, the sequence of these telomeres is a number of repeats of
TTAGGG and these telomeres prevent DNA from unraveling, much like the tips on
the end of shoelaces prevent our shoelaces from fraying. Chromosomes have
centromeric structures near the centre of the chromosomes where proteins look
for specific conformations or shapes of DNA on the chromosome to grab the
chromosomes and pull them in a specific direction when cell division such as
mitosis or meiosis occurs (two forms of cell division in which the appropriate
amount of DNA must be segregated into each cell).

Most humans have 23 pairs or a total of 46
chromosomes that look something like this when painted with fluorescent dyes:

Telomeric structures would be at the ends
of each chromosome and centromeric structures would be at the darkened and
pinched-in point generally toward the middle of the chromosome.

Different species of animals have different
numbers of chromosomes. Here is a list of some animals and their chromosome
number. I will continue to speak of the number of pairs of chromosomes in the
typical animal, rather than the total number of chromosomes.

Mice have 20 pairs of chromosomes;

horses, 32 pairs;

donkeys, 31;

cows, 30;

tigers, 19;

lions, 19;

orangutans, 24;

gorillas, 24;

chimpanzees, 24;

and bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), 24 pairs.

These last four entries represent the great
apes and are especially interesting to the rest of this article and we will
pursue this topic more in the next few paragraphs. But before we get there, let
me remind the reader that plants also have distinct numbers of chromosomes and
we could list some of those as well. The coffee plant has 22 pairs of
chromosomes whereas the pineapple has 25 pairs. The number of pairs of
chromosomes is one mechanism that acts as a boundary between species and
prevents the crossing of one species with another. There are a few rare
exceptions such as horses and donkeys in which cross-breeding is possible despite different chromosomal numbers, but
for the most part, such crossings fail. This is sufficient background regarding our DNA and its
packaging into chromosomes to remind us that our bodies are fearfully and
wonderfully made and that there is still much to learn about how the mechanisms
of genetics work.

Now we come to the interesting instance of
human Chromosome 2. As noted above, humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes while
the great apes have 24 pairs. If we look closely at and compare the chromosomes
of humans and the great apes, a good deal of similarity is noted. G-banding
patterns are a crude method of looking at the overall structure of chromosomes,
but they are instructive in showing the similarities of chromosomes.
Traditionally, this G-banding technique has been used to uniquely identify and
arrange each of our 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Of particular note is the similarity
between human chromosome 2 and ape chromosomes 12 and 13. The picture below
shows the similarity in banding patterns of the human chromosome 2 compared to
the banding patterns of two chimpanzee chromosomes.

What becomes immediately apparent at a
crude structural level (and is further borne out in the actual DNA sequence of
the chromosomes) is that human Chromosome 2 looks like a fusion of two chimp
chromosomes. In fact, as we analyse the DNA sequence of human Chromosome 2, we
find telomeric repetitive structures in the middle of Chromosome 2 (when they
should only be at the ends of the chromosome) and a second, non-functional,
centromeric structure where one would expect it would be if the chromosome
resulted from a fusion event.

What this suggests is somewhere in the
evolutionary development of humans, a fusion event occurred which resulted in
the reduction of the number of chromosomes to 23 pairs for the humans and
human-like species, while the great apes continue to have 24 pairs. The
following diagram represents the phylogeny (or family-tree) with regard to this
one feature (note, this diagram speaks of 46 and 48 chromosomes rather than 23
and 24 pairs). The question mark next to Neanderthals in the diagram represents
the fact that, although the chromosomal number for humans and Denisovans has
been experimentally confirmed, we do not presently have DNA of sufficient
quality from Neanderthals to experimentally confirm that Neanderthals indeed
had 23 pairs of chromosomes.[2]

Such evidence supports the idea that God
used an evolutionary process to create species including the human species. It
would indicate that we share a common ancestor with the great apes and that at
a certain point in the evolutionary process our line diverged from the family
tree of our ape cousins. It does not detract from God as creator and does offer
insight into the mechanisms he used as he created.

A blog of this nature can only whet the
reader’s appetite for further investigation into such topics. As previously
stated, Darrel Falk’s YouTube videos may be the next place to turn for further
understanding. The BioLogos website at biologos.org is always a great resource.
Perhaps this blog might also open doors for respectful conversation, logical
analysis, and a hunger and thirst for truth wherever it may be found. God is
indeed the great creator and the mechanisms of biology are no surprise to him.
We can continue to be confident that he is guiding the universe and guiding his
revelation to those who seek him.